Happy Birthday, Keira
by banded
Summary: About 4 years after the rift rider accident, takes place around Jak 2. Basically about Keira trying to get her Jak back, Erol lusting after Keira, and how he became unwittingly evil. Torn, Tess, and Erol are Keira's friends. JK, TA. Doesn't follow plot
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Jak and Daxter fic; I just typed it up last night. Any ideas are welcome because I have no idea where this is going. Rated T to be safe, because I might have used some mild language. Um, I messed up the plot, and Errol isn't evil (gasp). He, Torn, and Tess are Keira's friends. **

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Naughty Dog. **

_Chapter 1_

O

Keira sighed sadly as she twisted a fender off of the zoomer she was fixing. She often found herself lost in nostalgic memories of her and her childhood sweetheart, Jak. It had been so long…four years, in fact. His face and voice had faded away, and the knowledge that she had forgotten him twisted cruelly at her heart. A tear rolled down her cheek, smearing at the dirt and grease that came with an occupation as a mechanic. The pain of losing Jak was still fresh in her heart. She heard a knock at the door, and hastily wiped her tears away and got up to answer the door.

"Who is it?" Keira asked suspiciously. You could never be too trusting in this part of Haven City.

"It's Tess and the two asses, silly! Don't you remember? It's your birthday!" Keira gasped. She totally forgot!

"Oh! Hey, come in! Thanks for stopping by!" Keira exclaimed, opening the door. Tess stood there beaming, holding a rather squashed looking birthday cake with pink frosting. Torn stood next to her, with Erol in a headlock. Tess frowned at them.

"Erol sat on the cake. Don't ask how it happened," Tess said, glaring at him. Erol just grinned sheepishly.

"Happy birthday, Keira," he said, blushing a bit. Keira giggled.

"Come in!" she said. Then she noticed Torn holding a rather badly wrapped present, covered in a year's worth of tape.

"Oh Torn, you didn't have to!" Keira said. She dragged the three of them into her apartment.

"Excuse the mess," she said, frowning at the zoomer parts and tools scattered on the cement floor. Tess smiled and gave her a small, crisp white envelope.

"Open it, Keira!" she said eagerly. Keira careful lifted the lid and pulled out a hot pink gift certificate for the Haven City Mall.

"Oh…thanks a lot, Tess," Keira said weakly. She knew quite well that this was just an excuse for Tess to drag her clothes shopping, a hobby Keira was highly unfond of. They all sat down at Keira's broken table, and Torn handed her the present. Keira attempted to open it, but she couldn't rip off all of the tape.

"See, Erol," growled Torn, "that is the absolute _last_ time I allow you to wrap a present. Next time, you let me do it!" Erol huffed.

"It's not like you do a spectacular job either," he mumbled. Torn drew out his knife, and Erol flinched in alarm. However, Torn just handed it to Keira. After a rather long struggle, she managed to open it. Tess, who had been fiddling with her nails in a bored fashion, looked up eagerly. Keira unwrapped a fine, top quality steel wrench from a fan of aquamarine tissue paper. Her sea-green eyes lit up in delight.

"Oh, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!" she squealed, getting up and hugging all of them. Her friends certainly knew how to cheer her up. Torn grinned.

"I picked out the present," he said in his gruff voice. "You wouldn't _believe_ what Erol wanted to get you. It was-" Tess cleared her throat.

"Let's have some cake", she cut over him. "I swear Keira, you know I'm a good baker, this cake looked absolutely _fab _before _someone_ sat on it!" Keira smiled.

"Of course, Tess," she said, watching Tess go over to the cupboard and get some candles and matches. Tess turned off the lights and lit the cake.

"_Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!" _Tess sang, with Erol mumbling along with her. Torn flat-out refused to sing ("But don't take it personally, Keira"). Keira blew out her candles, and made her wish:

'_Come back, Jak, please come back to me…I miss you so much. I know we'll find each other some day…but let it be soon.' _

"So Keira, what did you wish for?" Erol asked slyly. Keira blushed.

"I'm not supposed to tell, Erol! It's bad luck!" Erol grinned. He had a pretty good idea of what she wished for. He had had his share of Keira going on about Sandover Village…and Jak. Okay, he admitted it to himself; he was maybe a teensy bit jealous.

"You wished for Ja-" Torn kicked his leg under the table. Hard. Keira felt her heart clench.

"Let's not talk about it today," she murmured softly. Tess shot Erol a nasty glare.

"I'm sorry, Keira," she said. "Try some of that cake; it'll make you feel better. And don't worry; it was plastic wrapped when Erol sat on it." Erol blushed again.

"Well Tess," he said, defending himself, "your placement of baked goods isn't exactly ingenious!" Before Tess could retort, Keira interrupted.

"It's great cake, Tess! Where did you get the strawberries?" Tess beamed and began gushing to Keira about the cute salesman at the bazaar. Torn rolled his eyes, and Erol snorted into his slice of cake when Tess started on about "a hot man" she saw in the crowd at the bazaar and how blue his eyes were.

"-the color of the ocean, I tell you, Keira! He stood out a mile! And his hair! Oh Mar, it was sooo sexy! It had green roots and went down in this long golden waterfall down his back!" Keira choked on her cake. The description was…familiar. But it just couldn't be...could it? Tess patted Keira on the back. Torn tried to catch Erol's eye, but he was oblivious to the going-ons around him.

"Well, anyway, Keira, that strangest thing was that he had a rat on his shoulder!" Tess continued. Keira's jaw was slowly dropping. "And get this- it was orange! And it was so cuuuute! I tried to pet it, and you know what happened, Keir? It _spoke_! 'Hands off, lady! You don't know how long it takes to get _this_ fur into its current condition!' Oh Mar, Keira, I thought I was hallucinating! And then the man turned his head to me, and his eyes locked with mine, they were such a _blue_! And- Keir? Keira?" Keira suddenly stood up, her chair clattering to the floor. Erol, who had been making puking motions, stopped and looked up. Keira's chest heaved, he eyes wide.

"_Tess_! Oh, _Tess_!" Keira breathed in a voice that scared even Torn.

"Keir? Whoa girl, calm down there! What is it?" Tess asked nervously. Torn tried catching Errol's eyes and this time he succeeded. Erol raised an eyebrow. _'Jak'_ he mouthed silently. Erol just stared at him. Torn growled and assumed Erol couldn't lip-read very well, but a whirlwind of thoughts were zooming behind the red-head's amber eyes. _'No, Jak? This is totally ridiculous! Keira's acting like she's possessed! See, look, she's shaking the living daylights out of Tess! But if Jak is back,and she finds him, then that means…oh no! Crap, this isn't good!'_

"We have to find him Tess, we have to! We'll do some inquiries at the Hip Hog, ask around! Tess! TESS, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!" Keira shrieked. There was an awkward silence. For all the years they'd known Keira, none of the three had ever heard her scream, let alone at one of them (except for the time when Erol had a little accident with Keira's welder). Tess shook her head.

"Keira, you need to get some sleep. That man couldn't have been Jak!" Tess told Keira worriedly.

"Oh yeah, Tess? OH YEAH? Well, how many men in Haven have an _orange ottsel_ on their shoulder!" Keira shouted wildly. Torn coughed.

"Well, she _does _have a point there…" Tess glared at him, and then collapsed into her chair. Keira plopped down on the cold floor also, then surprised them all by sobbing hysterically. Not silent tears running down her cheeks like the few times they had seen her cry, but _bawling_. She took great shuddering gasps, talking incoherently. Erol hurried over, patting her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"Oh dear…" murmured Tess. She too went over and crouched by Keira. "I didn't realize how important this Jak was…" Keira glared up at her through red rimmed eyes. "I mean, if you like, we'll look for him…" Torn interrupted.

"Hey Keira, Erol and I can get the Krimzon Guard on the case. Don't worry, we'll find him. I promise, okay?" Keira nodded.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she hiccupped. "It's just…it's just…"

"Shhhh," cooed Tess. "I understand, Keira. I'll ask around at the Hip Hog, and Erol and Torn will do some searching also. We'll find him, Keir!" Keira looked a bit doubtful, but smiled.

"Thanks so much, you guys," Keira whispered. "It means so much to me."

"No problem, what are friends for?" Tess said. "Now why don't you go and clean up, and we'll go and start looking for Jak, okay?" Keira nodded, and got up and hugged all of them.

"Thanks for the birthday surprise," Keira said, her voice stronger. Then she ducked behind the moth-eaten green curtain, and the sound of running water could be heard.

"Bye guys!" Tess chirped. She grabbed her purse and walked out. Torn and Erol looked at each other. Tess didn't seem particularly disturbed by Keira's outburst.

"I guess we'd better go," muttered Torn. Erol nodded, but looked over his shoulder at the faintly rusting curtains. He could hear faint sobbing noises. Erol bit his lip and followed Torn out the door.

O

**Okay, that was it. Sorry it was so short. I don't know if I'll continue it or not…I think I like reading fics more. ;) Reviews would be appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter, where Torn, Erol, and Tess will do some investigating. I also changed Jak and Keira's reunion around.**

,O,

Torn and Erol walked into the Krimzon Guard Headquarters. Neither had been there for a while; Torn was visiting some old friends, and Erol was "sick." Errol nudged Torn.

"Look!" he pointed out, gesturing at a most wanted poster. Torn looked. It had a large picture of who he assumed was Jak, with a reward of 10,000 precursor orbs. Torn's eyes widened.

"That's a lot of cash," he muttered, walking closer to inspect the fine print. He cursed as he read Jak's crime: convicted of murdering 219 Krimzon Guards and 23 innocent bystanders.

"What is it?" asked Erol, leaning closer. Torn stayed silent, thoughts raging through his mind. "$&#!" said Erol after reading it. "How the hell are we going to tell Keira her sweetie's a mass murderer!" Torn's jaw dropped.

"I didn't think of that," he admitted. "But this was rather unexpected. Hell, you'd think Keira was lying about his 'sweet' nature this whole time! And here it says he murdered them in cold blood!" Erol's first reaction was one of pity for Keira, but his worse half was telling him that this was maybe a _good _thing that Jak was a phsyco killer. Sure, she'd be maybe a little more than upset, but she'd get over it, right? Then, she'd maybe open her eyes-

"Did you read the whole thing, Erol? It says that he turns into a dark eco monster. I'll bet you he was the run-away experiment!" Torn exclaimed, interrupting Erol's thoughts. "And to think, if we had been on duty, we might not be here right now." Erol decided he'd rather not think about that.

"Should we still look for him?" he asked.

"I don't see why not, seeing as we told Keira we would. Oh, about Keira…do you think we should tell her? I suppose we should, because she'd find out anyway. It would be better if she found out from us," Torn said, answering himself.Errol nodded and sat down in front of a monitor. He entered his ID, password, and card and did a search on Jak. An image of a purple beast crackling with dark energy and several pictures and illustrations of a handsome young man with a green goatee appeared.

"The renegade was last reported being seen in Sector 7, where he hijacked a zoomer, throwing out 32 year old Carl Hutchins. The fall fractured three of his lumber vertebrae, paralyzing him from the waist down," Erol read out loud. "Whoa, this guy is _bad!_" He bit his lip. "How 'bout we spare Keira the gory details, just tell her that he's on the most wanted list for various crimes?" Torn frowned at him and sighed, then kneaded his forehead.

"Whatever," he groaned. "I really don't want to have to deal with this," he muttered to himself. "Let's get out of here and talk to Tess, okay?" Erol nodded, and they left the KG Headquarters.

xXIXx

Tess walked into the Hip Hog, swinging her purse behind her. She had just received a message from Torn and Erol via the talkbox explaining Jak's rather gory background. Her face was still a little pale after listening to Erol describe the eco demon viciously ripping an innocent man open. She walked through the grimy double doors, and was shocked and horrified to see none other than Jak leaning against the bar talking to Krew. She attempted to casually walk over to the bar, but suddenly forgot what 'casual' meant. She ran a bit, stopped, gathered herself, then tripped and fell onto Jak. She shrieked and scrambled backwards, backing up against a large portrait of Krew in a tight green suit. Jak calmly got up, dusted himself off, and raised a green eyebrow at her. She took deep, calming breaths, and walked briskly behind the counter and disappeared into the back storage room. There she leaned up against a pile of boxes and sighed in relief. All of a sudden, she heard a rather obnoxious glugging noise coming from behind her pile of boxes. Nervously, she peeked around and saw the same talking orange creature from the bazaar downing a bottle of neon green liquid.

"Erm, hello?" she called uneasily. The ottsel looked up and smacked its lips.

"Hey babe, I'm Daxter! How 'bout a scratch for the ears, eh?" Tess looked around warily, then walked forward and scooped the little creature up. It was kind of cute…Tess looked at the bottle he had been drinking from.

"Ewww, why on earth were you drinking cleaning fluid!" she asked in disgust.

"Cleaning fluid! Yech, no wonder! Thanks babe, you saved me there!" he snuggled against her bosom. Tess stroked his fur.

"Aww, your fur's so soft!" she crooned.

"That's what all the babes say," Daxter said proudly. Tess looked around again.

"Are you lost?" she asked. "I don't see anyone else back here, and you don't have a collar."

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down! Collar? _Collar?_ Babe, you gotta be kidding me! I ain't no pet, I'm your handsome orange sex god, at your service! And about being lost? I'm with Tall, Dark, and Gruesome out there. I think he's talking with Tub o' Lard." Tess giggled. This queer yet irresistible cute animal wasquite funny, and was taking her mind off her troubles already. She began to scratch behind his ears, and Daxter started to smile.

"Yeah, that's the spot, babe…" he said with his eyes closed, a dreamy expressionon his furry face.

"Well, I'm gonna take you out to the bar, okay? Jak might come looking for you…" Tess shuddered at the thought of being in a quiet and empty room with a cold-blooded killer.

"Sure thing, babe," he said loudly. Tess walked back out, Daxter cradled in her arms.

"-and I want you to join this particular racing team, mmm?" said Krew in his ugly voice. "The address is Apartment 1 in the Racing Sector. The mechanic will want you to prove you're worth it though, so get there in 3 minutes, and don't fail me or else, mmm?" Jak nodded. Tess leaned in close to hear better.

"And you're sure this will get me into the Baron's palace?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," waved Krew impatiently. "Now get on with it!" he belched.

"Gotta go, babe!" Daxter said, leaping from Tess's arms onto Jak's shoulder. "See ya!" And with that, Jak ran out the door, hotwired a zoomer, and blasted off, leaving a stream of knocked over pedestrians in his wake. Tess ran over the conversation in her mind, then plopped down on the bar counter with a deep feeling of dread. She knew Keira's address, which happened to be Apartment 1 in the Racing Sector. She ran outside to call Torn and Erol on her talkbox, only to bump into them.

"Hey Tess, what's with the freaky expression?" asked Erol curiously.

"Jak's heading over to Keira's apartment to sign up for her racing team! She could be in danger very soon! We have to catch him before it's too late!" Tess blurted out. Torn and Erol looked at each other, bewildered.

"Well…" started Erol.

"Knowing the speeds that physco drives at from his crime description, we don't have any hopes of catching him before he gets there," finished Torn. "We'll just have to get there after him, hopefully catching him while he's there."

"But we're Krimzon Guards! He'll probably go crazy and kill us all!" Erol protested.

"If we don't try, Keira might be killed!" Torn said sternly.

"Yeah, Erol, where are your guts?" Tess jeered. Erol flushed.

"Fine, then let's go, instead of arguing here!" he said, jumping on his KG zoomer. Tess grinned at Torn, but the grin soon slipped off at the thought of Keira's dire situation. Torn and Tess got into Torn's two-seater sped off after Erol.

xXIXx

Jak got off of his zoomer and strolled towards Apartment 1. He was extremely pleased with his time: 1 minute and 49 seconds. The sound of water trickling in a pretty spray down the artistically carved fountains suddenly sounded…well, beautiful. Whisting a tune, he knocked upon the beaten up wooden door.

"Whoo, Jak! I bet that was a record!" exclaimed Daxter. Jak just nodded, barely concealing a triumphant smile. "I bet this mechanic dude is gonna be one ugly galoot. It seems all these Haven guys who get down and dirty are!"

"Come on in! The door's open," came a rather raspy yet vaguely famililar voice. Jak's ears pricked up unconsciously. Daxter sauntered in, and Jak followed hesitantly. He looked around; it was a poor, dingy room lit by a bare bulb from the ceiling. On one side, there was a broken table with some used wrapping paper strewn on its surface, surrounded by four chairs. On the other, there was a dusty shelf filled with gleaming gold trophies. Strewn everywhere were disassembled zoomer parts and various mechanical tools. Dividing the room was a moth-eaten, patched-up green curtain, and silhouetted behind it was a familiarly enticing, curvy figure of a female. Jak stared. He wasn't one to gawk at females, except for Keira Hagai when they were back in Sandover and now Ashelin Praxis.

"Hi, just give me a moment here, alright?" said the figure,her shadow archingas she pried of a metal paint from the side of an old two-seater.

"Hey lady," called Daxter. "We don't want to see_ you_, we wanna see your gorilla of a guy! We're here for the racing team." The female's ears twitched; she ceased her prying. The voice was so familiar to Keira, but she was too incensed by this man's sexist comment to care.

"_Excuse me?" _she said in a dangerously icy voice. Daxter's tail fur stood on end. Jak tried to put his hand over Daxter's fat mouth, but it was too late.

"You heard me! Now go fetch your hubby!"

"For your information, you sexist, inconsiderate bastard, _I_ am the manager of the racing team. I do believe you blew your chance, so how 'bout you scram!" she snarled.

"Whoa whoa whoa, no need to get feisty! I didn't know! Now can you come out here for us? Jak and I wanna get started!" There was a squeak from behind the curtain.

"D-Daxter? I-is that you? And…_Jak?"_ she uttered softly. Jak's jaw dropped. Daxter's ears perked up.

"Keira! Hey babe! Long times no see!" he said excitedly. There was a huge crash, and Keira came stumbling out from behind the curtain, emotional tears forming at the corners of her green eyes.

"Oh, Jak!" she cried. She stopped. Stared. Who the hell was this guy? Not _her _Jak, that was for sure. She blushed. "Oh my, I'm terribly sorry. I thought you were some one else." She backed away,dissapearing behind the curtain again. Daxter pouted.

"She didn't even look at me!" he whispered to Jak. Jak was numb with disbelief. He had gotten about a 10 second look at hischildhood friendthat he had been searching for starting the moment he got out of prison (well, he had other things to do also, but that's not the point), and she _didn't even recognize him!_

"Hey, um, Keira, it _is_ me! It's Jak, from Sandover!" Strange choking noises were coming from behind the curtain. Keira was having trouble breathing from disbelief. She cautiously peeked back out, took a look at the strange man, and tentatively walked forward.

"Hey Keira, what about me, Orange Lightning over here!" Daxter said, seeking attention as usual. Keira turned her gaze to Daxter, and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that he hadn't changed like Jak had.

"Oh, hi Daxter!" she said, doing a very out of character thing and scooping him up in her arms. "I'm glad to see that you're okay!" Jak frowned slightly. Keira seemed to be in denial. She put Daxter down and turned to him once again. "Oh, Jak…you've…well, changed," she said weakly. _'A lot_,' she thought to herself. Jak felt awkward.

"It's been a tough ride," he replied. There was an uncomfortable silence. Keira felt a lump forming in her throat. Suddenly, she couldn't take it and ran forward, hugging him tightly around the neck. Looks didn't matter; he was still her Jak. Bewildered, Jak patted her on the back. He could feel his blue tunic getting soaked as she cried into his chest. Daxter, for once, couldn't think of a suitable comment.

And just as fate likes to do its little things to life (or the author to stories), Erol, Tess and Torn chose this exact moment to bust the door open, guns cocked.

,O,

**A/N: I myself am not sure what will happen next. I'm also sorry if people don't like this story. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I updated quickly, didn't I? Thank you so much for the reviews, it's encouraging to know somebody enjoys this story!**

,O,

"Okay," said Torn. They were outside of Keira's apartment door, about to rescue her. "We have to be careful about this. I say we quietly-"

"Well I say we bust in and take that freak out!" Erol interrupted, drawing his gun from its holster. Tess nodded.

"It'll take him by surprise," Tess added. Torn sighed. He knew from experience that if the two agreed with each other (which was rare), then he had no hopes of convincing them otherwise.

Okay," he said again, this time in a resigned voice. "We don't have a moment to lose, so let's go in, in an organized fashion! Look intimidating!" He and Tess pulled out their pistols. Erol rammed his shoulder against the door, which had been left unlocked. He stumbled in ungracefully, regained his composure, and aimed his gun, Torn and Tess behind him. Erol looked at the sight before him. He made a little choking noise. Torn stared. Tess squealed at the rather endearing sight.

What they had been _expecting _was a half-dead Keira, or a Keira backed up against the wall, paralyzed with fear. What they did _not _expect was a Keira hugging Jak tightly around his neck, sobbing with joy into his tunic. Torn shook his head. He was so embarrassed. He couldn't imagine the man before him was a demon.

"Who are you?" asked Daxter. "Oh hey, babe!" he said, recognizing Tess. "You guys have _timing_!"

Jak looked up, and his blue eyes widened with shock. Then he glared icily at the newcomers. He wasn't going to waste dark eco on three people, but he did have his morph gun…

"Erol? Torn? Tess?" Keira stammered. "Wha-what are you doing here?" Torn found his voice again.

"Stay away from him, Keira," he said in an authorative voice. "The man before you is a menace to all Haven City residents. I suggest you-" Jak was about to blow his brains out, when Keira grabbed the gun.

"No Jak!" she yelped, yanking the gun so that it didn't hit Torn. The bullet instead whizzed to the left of Torn, shattering the dusty light bulb hanging from the ceiling instead. Sparks flew, and the light flickered out with a crackling noise.

"Oh $&," exclaimed Erol. Pandemonium ensued. Tess screamed, pushing Erol out of the way. Erol panicked, accidentally shooting his gun. The bullet zoomed through the dark room, embedding itself in Jak's arm. An inhuman roar resounded throughout the tiny room, and crackling purple lightning illuminated the chaotic scene. Keira shrieked and fell over at the changing man's feet. She looked up in horror as horns sprouted from Jak's swiftly whitening hair, and elongated black claws slid from his pale fingertips with the sound of a sword being unsheathed. She fainted when she saw long glistening fangs poke down over Jak's lower lip. The whole thing was a nightmare to her.

"Quick!" yelled Torn. "We have to retreat! Somebody get Keira and let's get out of here!" Erol, who had somehow gotten twisted up in Keira's old green curtain during the chaos, untangled himself and hauled Keira over his shoulder. Tess grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the door. Jak slashed at Torn, missing his stomach by a fraction of an inch. Torn stared into the monster's pitch black eyes for a second, then turned and ran out the door after Erol and Tess. He felt angry with himself for running out on a fight, but he knew that he couldn't stick around. Erol gave Keira to Torn, who placed her in the passenger seat of the Hellkat (sp?). Erol and Tess got onto Erol's one-seater, and they sped off to somewhere away from there.

xXIXx

Dark Jak was in a blind fury. He clawed angrily at his arm, but only succeeded in making it bleed more. He licked the hot blood that poured down his arm. He heard the orange creature making some unimportant comments. Luckily, he was so preoccupied with his licking that he forgot to totally rip up Keira's apartment. He could feel Jak trying to regain control, but he kept him locked away. His long pointy ears picked up the sound of sirens in the distance, and he dashed out the door and ran towards the river. Once he got there, he dived beneath the cold, murky, polluted waters and hid there until the sirens stopped.

xXIXx

Keira awoke on a makeshift cot in the back room of the Hip Hog Saloon. She groggily attempted to sit up, but screamed in agony at the excruciating pain in her left side. Tess hurried over.

"Oh dear," she said worriedly. "When you fell, you landed on the shards of the broken light bulb. We removed the pieces and bandaged you up, but it'll still hurt." The memory of what had happened earlier that day came back to Keira. She remembered the way Jak had paled…and all those horns and claws started appearing…

"Are you alright?" asked Tess anxiously. "I'll go get you some water." Tess hurried out to the bar, and Keira's head throbbed. She groaned. It was all too much! She drifted in and out of sleep for what seemed like hours. Tess came back a few minutes after she had left and gave Keira a glass of water. As Keira drank, Tess filled her in on what had happened.

"It was horrible, just horrible!" she shook her head. "Torn and Erol said that they'd be dropping by soon, okay?" She placed a manicured hand on Keira's forehead. "Yikes, I think you might have a fever also!" Keira sighed and closed her eyes. The door creaked open gently as Erol and Torn walked in quietly.

"Is she doing alright?" whispered Torn.

"She's in a lot of pain, but she'll live," responded Tess in a hushed voice.

'_Sheesh,' _thought Keira. _'They're acting like I'm dead or something!' _"You know, guys," she managed to murmur; "I'm still alive. You can talk normally." Tess smiled. Erol tried to, but his lower face muscles had frozen. Instead, he held her hand and sat down on a pile of cardboard boxes. Unfortunately for him, the boxes were empty, and they caved in with a crash under his weight. Torn grinned as he watched Erol massage his back.

"You must be cursed with the klutz curse," he joked. Keira laughed, but ended up coughing. Tess patted her on the back.

"Tell me," Keira said softly, "what was wrong with…what was wrong with…" She was ready to face what was wrong with her Jak. Tess looked at Torn.

"We were going to tell you earlier, but we missed you. Jak was already at your home," said Torn. He then filled her in on what he could become. "It must be the result of the Baron's Dark Warrior experiment." Keira's eyes brimmed with tears.

"I'm, uh, sure he still loves you though," Tess added nervously. "After all, this wasn't his fault." Keira shook her head and plopped back down on the cot, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through her side. She hated to admit it to herself, but she felt afraid of him now. Erol sensed this, and smiled inwardly. A second later, he felt terribly guilty.

'_How could I even think that!' _he thought to himself in disgust. _'I'm supposed to be her friend!' _He excused himself to the bathroom, lost in conflicting emotions.

xXIXx

"Jaaaaaak….Jaaaaaaaak….JAK! Wake up buddy!"

"Mmmff." Jak shoved a pillow over his head.

"Jak, I wanna go to the Hip Hog and see the cute chick there!" Daxter whined. Jak groaned. He wasn't in the mood to get up. He had been up last night, unable to sleep, thinking of the horrific events of the last day. Daxter thought for a minute.

"Soooo, I guess Keira saw Tall, Dark, and Gruesome, huh?" Jak sighed. Daxter wasn't exactly helping. "Ya' know, some babes go for the dark guys! It turns them on!"

"Look Dax, I want to be left alone right now, okay? Why don't you go yourself?" Daxter frowned. How was he supposed to get there? Jak ditched all the zoomers he hijacked, and since he wasn't getting up, he would just have to walk.

"Okay, bye Jak. See ya'!" The orange ottsel walked out. Jak sighed in relief, then continued his inner angst fest. He was interrupted by a knock at the door. He moaned. Couldn't Daxter just leave him alone for the moment?

_Knock knock. Knock knock. _

"Jak, are you home? It's Ashelin."

,O,

**A/N: Hmmm…I'll have to start thinking about what Ashelin will play in this story. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Uh-oh…seems Keira has some competition. But don't worry; I won't put Ashelin with Jak. **

,O,

"Come in," called Jak groggily. He heard the door creak open then shut gently. Nimble footsteps padded towards him. He smelled a gently sweet perfume hanging in the air around her. A cool, slim hand slipped into his own, which was hanging limply off of the side of the bed. Jak's head buzzed pleasantly.

"Are you okay?" asked Ashelin in a concerned and serious voice. Jak nodded. "Look…I heard about the incident in the Racing Sector. I was worried about you…" Ashelin sighed. She knew quite well that she was "Torn's unofficial girl", but instead she found herself gradually falling steadily in love with this brave, handsome man. "Oh, Jak, you really have to find out a way to put that anger under control!" she exclaimed suddenly. "That hot head of yours is going to get you killed!" _'That head is hot in more ways than one,'_ thought Ashelin.

"I know, okay?" snapped Jak. He didn't like being lectured. "I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself!" Ashelin huffed.

"You should try being a bit more open…there are people who care about you out there…like me," she hinted rather unsubtly. Jak was surprised, but he didn't show it. Instead, he tugged the covers up over his wounded arm.

"Uh, thanks, Ashelin," he said hesitantly. "I really should get some sleep."

"Yes, I think you should," she said, placing a soft hand on his rough cheek. She gazed longingly into those beautiful blue eyes…it would be so easy to steal a small kiss… Jak shifted uncomfortably. The close proximity of her quite prominent cleavage was unnerving him. Ashelin backed away and smiled at him. "Bye, Jak."

"Bye," he muttered. He replaced the pillow over his face and heard the door softly open then shut.

xXIXx

Erol was perched on the rim of the sink in the Hip Hog Saloon's bathroom, deep in thought.

'_I am such an ass to be considering things that would break her heart! I'm her friend; I've known her for three and a half years! But I think I-'_

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" A blood-curdling shriek came from the back room. It sounded like Keira. Erol slid down from the sink to go see what was wrong, but slipped on the slick floor tiles and landed on his rear. He groaned. Maybe Torn was right about his klutz curse…he got up and reached for the door handle, but tripped _again _and hit his head against the hard door with a dull 'thunk'. Black crept into the corners of his vision, and he fell unconscious.

xXIXx

"Oh Mar," said Tess, looking for the tweezers frantically. "I thought we had gotten all of the light bulb shards out! Oh, here they are. Now just hold still…"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

"_Hold still_, Keir!" Tess swiftly pried the thin shard from her bloody flesh. Keira took great gasping breaths. "I think you might have to rest back here a bit longer until you can walk properly." Keira sighed. She would get so bored in the quiet back room. Luckily, Krew never went in there; he couldn't fit through the door frame. Suddenly, she heard a dull 'thunk' from the bathroom. Torn, who had been talking to the wastelander Sig outside, hurried in.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I heard a scream and a 'thunk'." Tess shrugged.

"Keira screamed when I removed a piece of light bulb that we missed, but I think that the noise came from the bathroom. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. You hear thumping noises all the time here," said Tess casually. Torn frowned.

"I guess so," he said. He was about to walk back out to Sig, when he stopped and slapped his forehead. "Erol's been taking a long time in that bathroom," he said, before running to the bathroom door. Keira propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Tess. Tess only sighed.

"Knowing Erol, he was probably-" she was interrupted by Torn coming back in.

"Tess, can you help me open the door? It's stuck. Krew just gave Sig a mission, so he left," said Torn. Tess nodded, starting to get a bit worried. Together, they left the back room. Keira lay back down. She felt like crap. Somehow, the concept of Jak becoming a dark eco monster seemed unreal to her, yet she had seen it with her own eyes. She still loved him, yet she felt a jolt of fear when she remembered that horrible scene in her apartment…her brilliant green eyes widened. Her apartment! Thieves might be stealing her racing trophies and other belongings at that very minute! She sighed impatiently. What was taking Torn and Tess so long?

xXIXx

"Come on, Torn! Push harder!" growled Tess, ramming her shoulder against the door. Something large was blocking it…like a body. Tess fidgeted nervously. "Erol? EROL? EROL!" she yelled, rapping sharply on the wood surface with her knuckle.

"I'm trying," Torn said through gritted teeth. "Now why don't you start helping again!" He looked up, and noticed a small vent above the door. He nudged her and pointed at it. "Why don't you get on me, and maybe you could reach-"

"Whoa!" came a loud voice from behind them. "_WHAT_ in the world are you two doing!" Tess, who was climbing onto Torn's shoulders, looked behind her, only to see a small orange ottsel. "Oh, hey babe! It's you! It kinda' sounded like you two were getting busy!" Tess rolled her eyes. Obviously, this creature was a bit on the perverted side.

"Hi Daxter," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, angel cheeks!" Tess giggled. Torn grunted.

"Tess, if you're not going to look through the vent, could you please get down?" he said.

"Oh, right," she said. She stood as tall as she could on his shoulders and peered through the dusty vent. She blew some of the dust away and saw a sink and garbage can in the corner, and two stalls on the side. Then she looked straight down in front of the door and saw…she squinted. Orange hair! "Erol?" she called down. "Are you okay?" No answer. "Okay, put me down, Torn!" Torn bent down and she jumped off.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"Wait a second, here! What's going on?" asked Daxter. Torn sighed.

"Our friend was using the bathroom, and we think that he somehow hit his head and fell against the door," explained Tess. Daxter grinned and puffed out his chest.

"Leave it to me, babe! I can get through that vent quick as lightning!" Tess's eyes sparkled.

"Really, Daxter? Oh, thank you!" Daxter grinned.

"No problemo, babe! Now if you could lift me up, that would be great." Tess picked the ottsel up and clambered back up onto Torn's shoulders. Tucking Daxter under her arm, she carefully pried off the old vent grid.

"Ready?" she asked, holding him through the opening. Daxter gulped. It was a long way down.

"Yep!" he replied. Tess let go, and Daxter fell down and landed with a muffled 'wumph' onto Erol's unconscious body.

"Are you okay?" asked Tess anxiously.

"Just peachy," he replied. He then proceeded to slap Erol's cheeks. "Hey, wake up!" Erol groaned and sat up.

"Where am I?" he asked, dazed. He looked around; a bathroom! Where was he? He noticed an orange rodent-like creature standing in front of him.

"You're in the Hip Hog bathroom, that's where!" it said. Erol did a double-take. A talking rodent!

'_I must be crazy,'_ he thought. Then he remembered; the creature belonged to Jak. He looked around again nervously. With that thought, it all started coming back to him. _'Keira screamed…and then I fell and hit my head!" _

"What's taking so long in there?" came a gruff voice from behind the door.

'_Torn,'_ Erol thought. "I'm fine!" he called. He heard a sigh of relief from Tess. "Was Keira alright? How long was I unconscious?"

"Can you just open the damn door already?" asked Torn impatiently. Erol tried to get up but winced. There was something wrong with his right ankle. He tried again and succeeded, opening the bathroom door. Daxter scurried out.

"My hero!" squealed Tess, scooping him up in her arms. Daxter grinned at her.

"Keira's fine; she just had some remaining shards in her side, but that's taken care of. I don't really know how long you were out, but I'd guess 20 minutes," said Torn, answering Erol's question. "We'd better go back and check on Keira." Erol nodded. Suddenly, his face contorted in pain as a throbbing pain coursed through his leg. "What's wrong?" Torn asked. Erol shook his head.

"It's nothing; c'mon, let's go."

xXIXx

Keira sighed, fidgeting with her blanket in a bored manner. She had resolved not to think about all the horrible things that could have happened to her home while she was away; after all, there was nothing she could do about it. She had also decided not to think about Jak. It brought an odd stew of emotions to her head. This left her wondering what had happened to Erol.

'_He's such a klutz,'_ she mused. It was funny most of the time, but he might have seriously hurt himself. She bit her lip with worry. He wasn't as near to her heart as Jak, but he was still one of her close friends. Suddenly, the door opened, and Torn, Tess, Daxter, and Erol entered. Erol was limping slightly.

"Hey, Keira!" greeted Daxter cheerfully. For Jak's sake, he didn't mention Dark Jak. "You sure don't look so good!" Keira rolled her eyes.

"Of course not, I just had pieces of light bulb pulled from my side!" She focused on Erol. "What happened? Are you okay?" Erol was slightly pleased by her concern.

"I fell," he said, a bit embarrassed. Keira had expected something along the lines of that. "I was unconscious, but Daxter got in the bathroom and woke me up." Keira beamed at Daxter.

"I was really starting to worry," she said, relieved. "Was something wrong with your leg?" Erol shrugged.

"I guess I must have hit it or something," he said. Keira nodded.

"Hey, Torn, Tess, do you think I could visit my apartment? I was a bit concerned…" she trailed off. Tess shook her head.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere, Keir," she said. "But one of us could go check on it for you." Keira smiled.

"Thanks, that would be great!" Tess smiled back.

"No problem, Keira. Now I think I should change your bandages; they're looking kind of icky," she said, gesturing to her side. Torn cleared his throat.

"I have KG duty right now, and so does Erol, but maybe he should take a day off because of his leg," said Torn. "So I guess I'll be going now. Bye." He walked out. Erol grinned.

"Wow, I haven't had duty for, like, two weeks! This is great!" he said, plopping down on the foot of Keira's mattress. "So, is there anything I can do to help?" Tess looked alarmed. She didn't trust Erol with an important job; chances were he would somehow screw up. What he was doing in the Krimzon Guard was beyond her.

"I don't think so, Erol," she said, grabbing some fresh bandages. He looked disappointed. Tess knelt by Keira and was about to lift her shirt. "Um, Erol? Could you…you know, step out for a moment?" Erol looked embarrassed.

"Sure," he said, walking out the door and closing it behind him. Keira tapped Tess.

"I don't want Daxter in here either," she said, glaring pointedly at the ottsel, who had been trying to be as discreet as possible.

"Aw man," he grumbled, waddling out to join Erol. Tess smiled.

"Okay, Keir, are you ready?" Keira nodded. Tess swiftly pulled off the bloody bandage, earning a pained gasp from Keira. Tess inspected the wound. "It's healing slowly; I'd say about another week would do the trick," she commented. Keira moaned. This whole healing process was a pain in the butt! If only her father were here, he could use some green eco, and get it over and done with fast. "Don't worry, it won't be that bad. You'll probably be sleeping a lot anyway." Tess changed the bandages and left to serve some drinks out in the bar. Sure enough, Keira soon found herself drifting off, Jak's ocean blue eyes floating around in her dreams.

,O,

**A/N: Thank you Jak fan, Raiynn-chan, and merryb for the reviews. :) I will try to have Jak and Keira meet again in the next chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the long update wait: I slammed the middle finger of my right hand in the trunk of the car. It makes typing hell!**

,O,

Jak flopped down on a log, breathing heavily. Killing metal heads always took his mind off of things, but his encounter with Ashelin and the Dark Jak disaster with Keira still lingered in his head. He exhaled loudly. He wished he could just start over; it was all so much to deal with. The problem was, though, that he was not dealing with it. He was dreading seeing Keira again, and he knew that things would be just plain awkward around Ashelin. He needed something stronger to keep him distracted…maybe some alcohol. He got up in search of a zoomer to get him to the Hip Hog. He found a nice blue one and was about to hotwire it, when a little voice started nagging in his head. _'What would Keira think?'_ it said. Jak frowned. He had never had guilt problems before. However, he needed a way to get there fast. He grabbed the zoomer and sped off, contemplating his change in morals.

xXIXx

Keira was up and about, whistling merrily. Torn had dropped by earlier and brought a green eco pack with him. He had taken it from the KG supplies room. It had sped up Keira's healing process considerably, and she could walk around with minimal pain, though there would be no more short tank tops for a while. Currently she was helping Tess by pouring drinks for customers. Erol was sitting at the counter, reading a section in a Haven magazine on the top ten ways to improve your grace and balance. Daxter was taste-testing various beverages, and Tess was wiping the counter. Torn was out, dealing with an explosion in Sector 3. Altogether, the atmosphere in there was fairly warm and cheery.

"Daxter, I think that's a bit too strong for you," said Tess, concerned. Daxter was downing a fizzy crimson solution, staggering around unsteadily. Keira smiled at the ottsel.

"It's too late; he's already drunk," she remarked. Erol frowned.

"There was an article on page 9 about alcohol poisoning. You'd better take that away from him," he said. At that moment, the door opened and Jak walked in. Faster than a charging yakkow, the atmosphere went from calm and happy to filled with tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife. His arrival was most unexpected.

"Hey, Jak, buddy!" called Daxter, the only one who seemed unaffected. Keira felt panic taking over her brain. She was too paralyzed with shock that she didn't know what to do. Jak looked up, horror etched on his features. Part of the reason he had come to the Hip Hog Saloon was because he didn't think Keira would be there. He couldn't just turn around and leave; that would look bad. His time had come to finally face her, and he was _not_ ready.

"Hello. May I help you?" said Tess coldly. Jak tried to look relaxed.

"Could I get a coffee?" he asked, fighting down the nervousness swelling in his stomach. He had come for alcohol, but for some reason he didn't want to be sitting there downing liquor with Keira and her friends staring at him. Tess scrutinized him, then grabbed a mug and started filling it with hot coffee. Jak sat down across from where Keira was arranging some glasses. Erol was glaring at him from over the top of his magazine, but he didn't notice.

"Hi Jak," she peeped, her back to him.

"Hi," he responded. He gulped. He was at loss for words; saying sorry wouldn't be right, and ignoring it wouldn't be either. "Look…" he started. Keira sighed and turned around.

"I know what you're getting at, and it's okay," she said, trying to smile. But it wasn't okay; his hideous transformations had shattered her view of him. Jak let his breath out in relief.

"Thanks," he said. Keira fidgeted. She hoped he wouldn't try and start a conversation or something. She glanced over at Tess and Erol; Tess was fiddling with Jak's coffee, and Erol had hurriedly yanked the magazine up higher when she looked over. The magazine was upside-down; she giggled. Jak gave her a funny look. "What is it?" he asked curiously. Keira shook her head.

"Sorry, it was nothing. I'm, er, going to use the bathroom now. I'll be right back," she said, quickly rushing to the door. Jak felt disappointed. Sure, it was better than before, but something still felt unresolved. He put his head down, and Tess walked up and banged the mug down in front of him.

"Here," she snapped tartly. Jak handed her some money, and she stalked back into the storage room.

"Hey buddy!" said Daxter woozily, stumbling up to him on the counter. "I dunno what's wrong with Angel Cheeks, she got all nasty when you came. So, what's up?" Jak shrugged.

"Where's Krew?" he asked, looking around for the immensely obese man.

"You mean fatso? I have no clue," said Daxter, getting down and lying on his back. "Look at those stars tonight, Jak! Aren't they beautiful! Look, that constellation looks like the Bird Lady…" Jak rolled his eyes and pushed Daxter to the side. He picked up his coffee and took a sip.

"Peh!" he exclaimed, spitting the coffee back into the cup. "This tastes like moldy dish rags," he commented in disgust. He had a lurking suspicion the sour barmaid had done something with it. Erol grinned. He had seen Tess squeeze the wet rags over it with an evil expression. He watched with glee as Jak pushed the mug away from him and put his head on the bar. Then he leaned back and looked around. There were a few couples sitting in the dimly light booths, conversing among themselves. He suddenly felt depressed. Why didn't Keira like him that way? It was obvious she didn't. He was nice, wasn't he? He was decent looking, wasn't he? What did that Jak have that he didn't?

'_Dumb question,'_ he thought bitterly. But maybe Keira would fall for him one day…Erol made a skeptical noise in his throat. Wishful thinking. But he could still try…The doors to the Hip Hog opened again, and a red-haired woman strode in. She approached the counter and held out her KG badge.

"Is there someone in charge here?" she asked crisply. Erol pointed to the back room.

"She's in there. I'll go get her," he said, getting up. Ashelin nodded, and her eyes flitted to Jak for a split second, and then went back to the door. Tess soon came out, Erol behind her.

"Yes?" she asked uneasily.

"Have you seen Commander Torn come in here? I need to speak to him; there was an explosion in Sector 3," she stated briskly. Tess nodded, looking less confused.

"He was in here about 10 minutes ago, but he already left to take care of that," she replied. Ashelin sighed in relief.

"That's good," she murmured to herself. "Could you please get me a drink?" she asked Tess. "Any kind is good." Tess smiled and started putting together a beverage. Ashelin sat down on a seat next to Jak. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hi Ashelin," he said, swishing his coffee back and forth, careful not to make eye contact with her. Ashelin frowned.

"So, has anything been happening?"

"Nothing much." Ashelin's brow furrowed. She would get him into a conversation with her if it was the last thing she did.

"So, did you ever find that girl you were looking for before?" she inquired. Jak stiffened.

"Yeah. She's in the bathroom." Ashelin's mind was screaming a warning. This girl must somehow have a relationship with him, if she was here in the bar with him. She just hoped it wasn't a girlfriend…

"How's the metal head problem going?" This question seemed to get Jak a bit more interested.

"Well, the ones at the pumping station have been recently taken care of, but I've still seen lots in Dead Town…" Jak started talking and talking, pleasantly surprising Ashelin. It appeared that she had found a good topic. She smiled and nodded as he spoke, occasionally placing a gentle hand on his knee and laughing lightly when he told her about strange metal head habits. Erol was barely concealing a grin. Maybe he wouldn't have to do anything; Ashelin could take Jak for herself, and Keira would have to find a new love interest! He would be the first to volunteer, obviously. He glowed happily and enjoyed the scene of the two conversing, and Ashelin flirting with Jak.

xXIXx

Keira walked out of the bathroom. She actually_ had_ used it; it wasn't just an excuse to get away from Jak, though that was part of it. She felt ready to maybe start a light conversation with him. She walked to the side of the bar where Jak was sitting, and stopped dead in her tracks.

'_That's Ashelin…the Baron's daughter!' _she thought, recognizing the famous figure. She watched them carefully from behind a rack of bottles. A twinge of envy sprouted in her stomach as she watched Jak talking enthusiastically. _'He's never talked to me like that…' _she thought. Ashelin placed her hand on his knee and laughed slightly, and a tidal wave of angry jealousy surged through her. _'What does that bitch think she's doing! Flirting? With _Jak_? Ooh, she's got some nerve!' _She immediately forgot all about her problems with Jak as pure possessiveness shot through her veins. She viciously grabbed a bottle from the rack and stormed behind the counter to where Jak and Ashelin sat. Jak noticed her and eyed her nervously. He gave a little wave, and Keira glared daggers at him. _'What are you doing with that woman? Can you not tell that she is a scantily-clad whore!' _Ashelin glanced at her for a barely noticeable split-second, then purposely ignored her. Keira's blood boiled. She leaned over, interrupting their little chat.

"Hi, can I get you something?" she addressed Ashelin, her voice poisonous. Ashelin shook her head.

"The blonde lady over there is getting me a drink," she said, then turned to Jak again. Keira growled. No way was this slut going to flick her off!

"Hey, Jak? Do you want something other than that coffee?" she asked sweetly. Jak was starting to notice the tension between the two women.

"Umm, I guess I'll have a beer," he said nervously. Keira smiled and went off to the filler machine (sorry, don't know what it's called), grabbing a mug from the shelf. She started to fill it, watching Ashelin out of the corner of her eye. _"She'd better not try anything…'_

xXIXx

Ashelin inwardly snarled. Why was this woman Jak knew acting like such a snob? _'Oh…duh! I guess she's his wannabe girlfriend! Well, too bad! I got here first!" _It wasn't _her _problem if the aqua-haired female wanted to act like she had a stick up her ass. Honestly, she was giving off bitch vibes! Well, maybe that was for the better; all the more reasons for Jak to not like her. She noticed flaming orange hair over Jak's shoulder. On closer inspection, it was Erol, the clumsy soldier who was always skipping duty. He looked extremely happy. Luckily for him, she wasn't in the mood to reprimand him. Tess walked over and placed a drink down in front of her, shooting a nasty glance at Jak. Ashelin handed her some money and started up a new conversation with Jak.

"So, do you have a girlfriend? Is that woman with the green and blue hair over there with you?" Jak squirmed on his seat anxiously. He didn't like where this was going.

"Um, her name's Keira, and no, she's not really my girlfriend…" Ashelin grinned to herself. She took a careful glance at Keira, whose sea-green eyes burst into flames at Jak's reply. She saw her knuckles turn white as she clenched the handle of the mug. Ashelin smirked.

'_Wannabe girlfriend indeed…'_

She didn't want to sound self-centered, but her flawless facial features and her large bust size often attracted the stares of many men. She didn't want to have Jak be attracted to her for just that, she had a pleasant personality as well, but maybe her figure could give her a bit of an edge over Keira.

"So Jak, what would you say to a date? You and me, maybe some coffee?" She waited apprehensively. She had sprung the question. Jak's eyes widened in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, um, well, see…" He cursed how stupid he sounded. "Okay," he said in a small voice. He didn't know what else to say. Keira's pointed ears strained. What has they said? Daxter was babbling something in his drunken stupor, blocking out their conversation. She leaned her head closer, just in time to see Ashelin's pretty tattooed face leaning towards Jak's, her long black eyelashes fluttering delicately, her full ruby lips parting…

Flashback:

_Keira leaned in towards Jak, her beautiful emerald eyes closing, her small pink lips opening…_

"_Hey! Break it up, you two!"_

_xXIXx_

_Keira bent over him, admiring the blue of his eyes, then lowered her face down…she would finally get her kiss…the one she had waited so long for…_

"_Keira? Can you come over here and help me water these plants?" _

End Flashback.

First it was Daxter…then her father…and now this _bitch _was taking away _her _kiss! Ashelin had done nothing for it, she hadn't waited, but she, Keira, had suffered interruptions and waited so long for her romantic first kiss with Jak.

'_It's not fair!' _she thought furiously, watching Ashelin lean forward and Jak's eyes widen in surprise. It was almost about to happen…the theft of her first kiss with Jak! She had to do something…

_What to do, what to do!' _Keira grabbed the mug she was filling for Jak, and without a second thought, hurled it at Ashelin.

,O,

**A/N: Heh, looks like some competition does Keira good! Or not. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: My finger is better, so I can type a lot faster. Thank-you for the reviews, they make me update quicker. :) **

----O----

Ashelin leaned forward, gazing into Jak's ocean eyes. A surge of giddiness ran through her body….and the next thing she knew, a thick glass mug had made heavy contact with her shoulder, and her lap was doused in beer. (Which was not a good thing, having it be that she was clad in leather.) She sat there, stunned, until her soldier instincts kicked in and she was up and in a fighting stance. She looked around for the culprit, and immediately noticed Keira glaring at her from beside the filler machine. Her brain was bewildered.

"What the _$&#$ _was that for!" she screeched. Jak's head snapped in the mechanic's direction. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to try and calm them down before something catastrophic happened or just watch. He settled on watching, as did everybody else in the Hip Hog. It had gone deathly silent after the sound of the mug bouncing off of Ashelin and smashing on the ground. Tess put a delicate hand over her pink lips, Daxter stared blearily, not really comprehending the situation, and Erol was dazed.

"You know _what, _bitch," she uttered coldly. Ashelin's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked poisonously, pacing towards her, beer rolling down her legs. Keira was intimidated, but didn't show it.

"Of course, doesn't _everybody? _You're our beloved baron's princess," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Ashelin snarled.

"I really don't know what your problem is, but before you try anything else, know that I can kick your ass!" Keira's eyes flamed.

'_What have I_ done_? I have to control myself…don't want to go making this any worse…' _Unfortunately, Keira's hand was not complying with her thoughts, and she found it making an extremely rude gesture at Ashelin. The blood ran to the red-head's tattooed face. She grabbed a man's beer and flung it at the aqua-haired woman.

"How's that feel, huh?" Keira grimaced in pain as the mug smacked into her left breast. The beer splashed onto her white t-shirt, soaking it thoroughly. A guy watching from one of the booths whistled. Crimson blossomed on Keira's cheeks. Jak stood up.

"Okay, that's enough," he commanded, grabbing Ashelin's arm and sitting her down on a seat. He went behind the counter and lightly pushed Keira towards the bathroom. She turned her head around and glowered at him.

"_What?" _he whispered. She huffed and strode into the restroom, slamming the door behind her. Jak shook his head and turned around. "What are you all looking at?" hesnapped angrily. The people in the booths turned to each other and started muttering. A few people were laughing. Jak growled. He approached Ashelin, who was breathing heavily, glaring at the restroom door. "Hey, are you okay?" Ashelin nodded.

"What was up with that girl?" she asked. Jak fidgeted.

"I don't know, I mean…she wasn't…" Ashelin shook her head.

"Never mind," she said. Why did Jak _like _that woman? Assuming he did. In that case, he had awful taste. "Look, why don't you check up on her? Make sure she's not destroying the sink or whatnot." Jak glanced at her with an unsure expression, then walked into the bathroom. Ashelin sighed. She wasn't going to just sit there with all these stupid citizens gawking at her; she got up and walked out of the bar.

xXIXx

Keira sat on the toilet seat in a stall, deeply regretting her actions. Her momentary rush of fury had simmered down and was replaced with sadness and remorse. What would her father say? She sighed gloomily. And Jak probably thought she was a total bitch now…why, oh why did she have to throw that stupid mug of beer at Ashelin? Jealousy, that's why. Guilt washed over Keira. Just earlier she was thinking about how horrible his transformations were and how they would affect their relationship, and the moment another girl started warming up to him, she turned into Keira-demon. Un-beckoned tears ran down her smooth cheeks. She ripped some toilet paper and hastily dabbed at her eyes. Did Jak love Ashelin now? He was going to let her kiss him….

The door opened. Keira sighed in relief, thinking it was Tess. Then she could tell her all of her thoughts and feelings, and Tess would comfort her like the friend she was. Back in Sandover Village she had never had a girl friend her age. She wiped the tears off of her cheeks and peeked beneath the stall door. Thick combat boots…not Tess.

"Keira?" a male voice called. Her brain froze. "Keira, I know you're in there. Can we talk?" Keira dried her eyes as best she could, but she knew that Jak would be able to tell that she had been crying. She opened the door hesitantly.

"I'm so sorry, Jak," she choked, her nose prickling again. "I was such a bitch back there and I-I-" Her voice broke. _'Damn these tears!" _she thought. Jak smiled at her.

"It's alright, I understand," he said. Keira smiled weakly back. _'No, I don't think you do understand, Jak.' _Jak shifted nervously, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Do you…do you love Ashelin?" Keira asked suddenly.

"Huh? Er, um…_No!_" Keira eyed him suspiciously. What else was he supposed to say? Jak felt extremely uncomfortable with all the romantic stuff. Sure, he'd like it if she maybe kissed him or something, but the dumb questions were getting annoying.

"You were going to let her kiss you," she pointed out. Jak inwardly sighed in frustration.

"Look Keira, let's not jump to conclusions, alright? I wasn't expecting it and she took me by surprise," he explained. Keira nodded, not looking at him.

"Would you kiss _me_?" she inquired.

'_Rrrgh, this isn't 20 questions, Keira!' _he thought to himself. Was she asking him whether or not he would, or if he would right then? "Of course!" he said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Keira frowned slightly.

"Okay. Sorry for asking the silly questions." She walked over to the sink and splashed some water on her face. Jak sighed in frustration. There was always some wicked little feeling lying underneath all the normal talk. Keira would act detached, and Jak wouldn't know what to do.

"Listen," he started. "If there's something we need to talk about…" He didn't know how to finish the sentence. Keira rubbed the bags under her eyes, peering at her reflection in the dingy mirror.

"I don't think there's anything, Jak," she replied. Jak ran over all the possibilities in his head. Maybe it was because he didn't kiss her…? Yeah, that's probably what it was about, and the question too. He touched her arm lightly, and she flinched. Or maybe it was his dark transformations. She wasn't communicating with him, so he would have to find out for himself. He gently tugged her arm so that she faced him. He leaned towards her, his eyes closing. Keira's gasped softly in shock, and ducked her head to the side. Jak's lips met the base of her ear. He realized this and blushed.

"I'm sorry, Keira! I thought you wanted, uh, a kiss…or something…" he trailed off, embarrassed. Keira's cheeks were flushed. _'What are you doing!' _her brain screamed at her. _'Why did you DUCK!' _Jak looked at her nevously. _'Oh damn…' _she thought. Luckily for her, Tess chose that moment to open the door.

"Hey, Keir? Are-" Tess suddenly noticed Jak. "Do you think you could leave us alone for a second?" she asked him. Jak looked slightly miffed, but left anyway.

"Hi Tess," she said, taking a deep breath. Tess scowled.

"That man wasn't trying anything on you, was he?" she asked. Keira shook her head. "Are you okay?" she questioned, concerned. Tess looked thoughtful. "I guess you really _do _like that guy," she said, as if the concept was ridiculous. "But picking a fight with the baron's daughter was a bad idea, Keir," she said.

"Of course I know _that, _Tess," she said. "But it was a spur of the moment kind of thing, you know?" Tess nodded. Keira sat down on the sink and Tess seated herself on the top of the garbage can. Keira proceeded to spill her feelings to Tess, who listened quietly.

"-and I feel so awful about how my feelings just switch! It's horrible," she said dejectedly. Tess nodded.

"Well, if I were you I would dump the guy and never see him again, but seeing as you seem to like him so much, I think you should let him have a chance. Let your walls down around him! But make sure that he doesn't go phsyco and kill you," Tess warned. Keira groaned.

"But that's exactly my problem! How am I supposed to be normal around him when I'm afraid that he'll eat me or something!" she exclaimed.

"That's simple," said Tess. "Talk to him about it." Keira sighed.

"That's always so much easier said than done." But she knew that Tess was right. Tess patted her on the back.

"It's okay," she said. "Once you get it over with, things will be so much better!" Keira had a bad feeling about it, but smiled.

"Thanks Tess," she said. "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

"No problem!" she chirped. "Speaking of friends, where's Erol?" Keira shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. "I think we should get going now. I want to go take a look at my apartment!" Keira took Tess's arm and pulled her out the door.

xXIXx

"Oh my goodness," Keira said faintly. Tess glanced at her nervously.

"Cheer up, it's not as bad as it could have been!" she said. Keira gave her a look.

"Just look at the place!" She pointed to the table, which was covered in dried blood. The wrapping paper from her birthday was still there, splattered with the rust-colored crust. Light bulb shards and scraps of rubble littered the ground, and a foul stench had settled in her apartment. Jak himself hadn't done too much damage, but the huge rats and other animals had rummaged through her stuff, making a mess.

Tess frowned. "You're welcome to stay at the Hip Hog," she offered. Keira smiled, but it wasn't a very happy one.

"Thanks a lot, Tess," she said gratefully. "I'd like to come here periodically and fix the place up, though." Tess nodded. "Hang on a sec, I want to go and get some stuff to take with me," she said, walking into her ruined home. She grabbed her black tool belt from off of the floor and strapped it around her waist. Then she picked up a few more tools, including the wrench she had gotten from her birthday. The small amount of money that she had kept in a jar had been stolen, but luckily the majority had been kept in her wallet. "Okay, I think that's all I'll need," she said. Tess grinned.

"Let's go back to the Hip Hog and find Erol," she said, getting into the zoomer. Keira nodded and got in the passenger seat, and they left her wrecked apartment.

xXIXx

Theyentered the Hip Hog to find Krew floating around in his flying basket chair. Keira stepped back in repulsion.

"Where were you Tess? I need you to tell me what exactly went on just earlier, mmm? All these stupid customers keep telling me different stories," he rumbled. Tess made a face at his bad breath.

"There was a minor fight with the Baron Praxis's daughter andmy friendhere, okay? It was nothing big," she said impatiently, pushing past him. Krew scrutinized Keira.

"So, you've been getting in fights at my bar while I've been absent, eh?" he said in his loathsome voice. "I might have to kick you out next time, you hear?" Keira nodded, holding her breath. She ran a bit to catch up with Tess and get away from Krew. Tess was walking up to Erol, who was perched on one of the bar stools.

"Hey Erol!" she greeted cheerily. Erol grunted. Keira stood next to Tess.

"Throwing a mug of beer at Ashelin Praxis…that was pretty awesome, Keira!" he lied. In reality, the fact that she had done it out of possessiveness for Jak had put him in a rather sour mood. Keira shrugged, looking ashamed. "Hey, it's okay," he said.

"We went to visit Keira's apartment," Tess said. "It wasn't totally destroyed or anything, but it was pretty run-down." Erol looked apologetically at Keira.

"I'm sorry about that," he said to her. Keira smiled.

"You don't need to be sorry, you had nothing to do with it!" she said.

"Keira's going to be staying in the back room a bit longer until we can fix up her apartment," she informed Erol. Krew, who had been drifting around above them, overheard.

"The back room is for employees only, mmm?" he said. "I would allow her the chance to work here without pay to be able to use the back room, but I'm afraid that I don't want troublemakers starting fights and driving away customers." He fanned himself and glared at Keira, who blushed in shame.

"Please sir," she said, "I promise that I won't-" Krew shook his head.

"No no, I don't think so. I need to make a business, eh?" Then he floated off, leaving an upset Keira behind him.

"What will I do, Tess?" she asked miserably. "I don't think I can stay at my old apartment!" Tess bit her lip with worry. Erol leapt at precious opportunity.

"She could always stay at my apartment!"

----O----

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I thought it was a good place to leave off, though. Keira living with Erol…hmmm. -Evil thoughts-**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I was living away from home for a while, but now I'm back! And I feel energized! The point is, I have a computer again. :) I wasn't really planning on updating, but after reading Jak X Lover's review, I decided to. Thank you so much! And thanks CrazyFFKHOttsel for reminding me about Torn. He was starting to become sorta obsolete. But not anymore! He'll show up more in the next chapter, I think.Okay, enough with my annoying blather. **

----O----

Keira's eyes widened.

"Eh heh… what?"

Tess beamed at Erol. "That's sweet, don't you think, Keir? Anyway, you'd probably like staying at Erol's more, his place is nicer!"

Keira would rather stay with Tess, for in her memory of Erol's house, it only had one bed. But of course, she wouldn't want to insult him. They were clearly just friends, after all.

"Yeah…yeah, thanks a lot Erol! You saved me there!" She smiled. Erol grinned back.

"Okay, let's drop your stuff off then. We can go now!" Tess clapped her hands.

"It's settled then, Keir! You have a place to stay! I'm so glad we got that figured out," she said. "Now I need to finish cleaning up after that booth over there, so I'll meet you guys later."

As they started to go, Keira glimpsed Tess wink at Erol. He blushed. Keira frowned; there was definitely something up.

xXIXx

Jak was at the gun course, blasting the crap out of wooden targets. He was angry, once again, at himself. He was obviously doing _something_ wrong with Keira. Things were so awkward between them. Ashelin, on the other hand….

Too bad their date was put off by the incident earlier that day.

……….

Jak mentally slapped himself.

'_How could I think like that! I love Keira!' _He considered what he had just thought. He never fully admitted it to himself. Love was a concept that left him feeling open and vulnerable. He could feelthe darknesswithin him laughing softly.

'_Anyway, I don't love Ashelin, or both of them! Just Keira! Except that-'_

JAAAK! You shot an "innocent bystander" again! Fat dude this time!" Daxter's loud voice broke him away from his train of thought.

"Oh, no wonder my score isn't getting anywhere." Daxter rolled his eyes.

"So, what're you thinking about that's making you such a space cadet? Anything you'd care to share? Like your opinion on Ashelin's fine rack?" Jak winced, missing a target.

"Ah-ha! I think you agree that that's a fine topic. But seriously, I've never seen a dame with such big hooterswho wasn't stuffed! She's a hottie, Jak. If I ever drop her, I'll let you know so you can have her." Daxter didn't seem to notice Jak's discomfort. "Oh, I know, Jak! Let's play a game! We can compare Ashelin, Tess, and Keira! And that wooden babe that you just blew up."

Jak sighed.

"And don't choose Keira just to be nice, cuz' we both know that she looks like Krew compared to Ashelin. And Tess."

Jak was starting to get annoyed.

"I mean, she's a real mechanic now, so imagine how greasy it would be if you two-"

Jak smushed Daxter's yapping muzzle closed with a gloved hand. "I get it, Dax! Now can you please give me some quiet?"

Daxter rolled his eyes again. "Okay, okay buddy, I getcha. I know how hard it is to picture Ashelin's boobs when somebody's talking to you. I'll leave you alone."

Jak growled in frustration, but focused his attention on blowing up more targets.

xXIXx

Erol pinched himself, just to check. No, it wasn't a dream! Keira was really going to live with him! During the ride in the zoomer, he had planned it all out.

Keira got out of the passenger side. She had been thinking, and figured that she could avoid any thorny situations by sleeping on the sofa. That way she would feel better, and wouldn't be imposing on Erol.

Erol ran up the steps and opened the door, but said to Keira, "It's kind of messy in here. I'll be right out, just gonna clear some junk to the side." Keira nodded and sat down on the steps. Her thoughts started wandering towards Jak again, unfortunately. She shook her head, telling herself that she could ponder that later.

Meanwhile, Erol was searching for a pair of scissors. (Of course he wasn't really going to clean the place up!) Once he found them, he proceeded to punch holes in his own couch so that the sharp metal springs would protrude out. Just for extra measure, he got some coffee grounds from the trash bin and smeared them on the fabric. No way was Keira going to sleep on the couch. If he had to ruin it, so be it! (A/N: Wow, it's actually pretty fun writing this story!)

He ran back to the front door to get Keira. She followed him in, noting the uncharacteristic neatness of his home. It was a cute little place, brightened by the artwork that covered the walls. She passed through the tiny wood-panel kitchen and into the living room. She stopped and stared in horror.

"What happened to your couch!" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh, erm, a friend came over and he got a bit drunk, and, uh, I guess he messed it up," Erol lied. It was a pretty good lie, if he did say so himself. Not that he was an advocate of lying.

"So where am I going to sleep?" she asked. Erol smiled to himself. He had planned it all out.

"I could always sleep on the floor," he offered. Keira shook her head.

"No, no, I wouldn't want that!" she exclaimed. "Why don't I sleep on the floor?"

"Of course not! We could always sleep together. It's not that bad!" he said. Keira was hesitant. "Don't you trust me?" he asked.

"Of course!" Keira said. "That's totally fine!" She put her clothes in an empty drawer, along with her tools. "If it's okay, do you think you can take me later to my old garage? I'd like to fix it up as soon as possible, so I can move back to my place."

"Sure," said Erol. "I'll help you out." _'My ass,' _he thought. That would mean her going back sooner. Don't get him wrong, he's not a, uh, a pervert or anything, he was just starting to get a little….obsessive.

xXIXx

It was nearingthe end of the day, and Keira was feeling a lot better. She had made a lot of progress on her garage. She and Erol had cleaned up most of the rubble; wait, scratch that, she had cleaned up most of the rubble and Erol had spilled most of the rubble. He had just gone of to put it in the dumpster down the street. The garage looked way better than before, at any rate.

Suddenly, a zoomer pulled up by the garage. It was Torn.

"Hey, I talked to Tess, and she said you're living with Erol now. Is that right?" he asked Keira.

"Oh hi Torn, yeah, I am," she responded. Torn's facial expression changed the slightest bit, but not in a readable way.

"Is Erol around?" he asked gruffly.

"No."

"Listen Keira…there's something that I don't think you know about Erol."

"You mean that he's a klutz?" she joked. "I've figured that out already, Torn. He's spilled half the stuff I cleaned up." Torn shook his head and leaned forward conspiratorially.

"This may potentially disturb you, Keira, but I think you have to know if you're going to be living with him."

Keira rolled her eyes. "Geez Torn, spit it out already. It can't be that bad."

He huffed. "Well, if Miss Smartypants hasn't figured it out already, he's-"

"Hi Torn!" Erol had come up behind the unknowing pair.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later," he whispered quickly.

"Hi Erol, I just dropped by to check on you two. I was about to go. I'll catch you guys later, okay? Bye." Torn turned to leave, but not before pinching the back of Erol's arm. Hard.

Erol flinched. "Ow, what was that for!" He yelled angrily at Torn. Torn just gave him a meaningful look and got into his zoomer.

Keira frowned. Her friends were acting strange, as if they were hiding something from her. It was starting to get irksome.

"I guess we should get back now, huh?" said Erol . Keira nodded.

Erol was euphoric. Never had he been so looking forward to bedtime.

----O----

**A/N: This chapter was just to get me back on track with the story. Ithink there'll be more actual stuff going on in the next one. Oh yeah, and NO, he's not going to rape her or anything. Sheesh. I get nauseous at the very thought! Only an evil Erol would do that, and Erol's obviously not evil! –YET!- Ahem. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: The dreaded night! Dun dun duun!**

----O----

It was a beautiful night; the sky was a dark milky blue, scattered with glittering stars. The large moon that hung overhead had a faint greenish tint; it looked seasick to Keira.

Obnoxious zoomer motors punctured the night, along with the chorus of drunken gangs beating each other up outside. She groaned and shoved her pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise of Haven City. She closed her eyes as tightly shut as she possibly could, imagining the sounds of Sandover: mystical blue waters lapping pale sandy shores, the rustling of palm tree fronds in the wind, the distant mooing of Yakkows in their pens.

Keira sighed contently, then nostalgically.

Sandover was, of course, a bad thing to think about, because 1) she could never go back as far as she could see, 2) it reminded her of her father, and 3) it reminded her of You-Know-Who.

The sounds of sheets rustling nearby alerted her to the present. She cracked an eye open, glimpsing fiery hair in the gloom. She quickly shut it again, her cheeks turning the color of Tess's nail polish. She couldn't believe she was sleeping with a _guy._ Sure, it was completely platonic and all, but what would daddy think? Tears leaked sideways down her pale face. She missed him so much. She had gone into this alien world by herself too early, unprepared, reluctantly. Keira sniffled.

"Keira?"

Silence. Erol sighed. He knew she was awake. He couldn't sleep either. Of course, he didn't dare scoot any closer to comfort her; as it was, he was so close to the far edge of the bed that he was on the brink of falling off. It wasn't that he wouldn't prefer to be a bit closer, but he sensed that she was already uncomfortable.

So he waited. One hour went by. Two hours. Then three. His pointy ears pricked; all he could hear was regular breathing, that of a sleeping person. He waited just to be sure. Then…he carefully scooted one inch closer. He counted 5 minutes on the glowing digital watch on his bedside table, then scooted another inch. The night progressed like that, until he was a hair's breadth from her back.

'_Now what?' _he thought to himself. He shakily looked down at her sleeping face, his heart smacking itself against his rib cage. His amber eyes trailed down to her slightly-parted rosy lips. Would she notice if he brushed his lips against hers? _'Probably…' _he answered mentally. He didn't even want to comprehend what would happen if she woke up in that situation. It would mean instant death by wrench for him, and that was bad enough.

Agonizingly slowly, he draped an arm over her slim waist.

'_This is what it will feel like,' _he thought contentedly. He stayed like that for a while, then, ignoring his previous thoughts, cautiously brushed his lips against her cheek, then down to her lips. He was instantly elated; it was truly real, a taste of his dreams. He raised his head and admired her. She was glamorous, even in a baggy t-shirt and cotton shorts.

"_I love you," _he whispered barely audibly in her ear. Her eyelashes fluttered, and he quickly rolled away from her and onto his back. He sneaked a fleeting glance at her, just to make sure she was still asleep.

Maybe he should just crush his lips against hers andtell herhow he felt. But Erol could never do that to her. She still loved Jak, a broken man in his eyes; now was not the time, quite possibly the worst.

He closed his eyes, figuring that there was always a tomorrow to do whatever he wanted to do. Listening to the sound of Keira's steady breathing, he gradually drifted off to sleep…..

xXIXx

"I was awake, you know."

Erol awoke with a start.

"Wh-what?" He searched for the source of the voice, and his eyes met the sea-green of Keira's.

"I said that I was awake." She leaned closer to him, her nose touching his. He blinked in surprise.

"I-I'm sorry Keira, I was-"

"Shhh." She pressed a finger to his mouth, then all of a sudden she was kissing him, combing her fingers through his orange hair. His eyes widened in shock, his heart thumping wildly. He felt like he was in a semi-trance, and without a thought, his hands were roaming up her shirt, and-

"EEEEEEEEEK!"

_Slap._

"Fu- OW!"

"What the hell, Erol!"

Erol opened his eyes. Daylight was shining in his eyes through the window. He blinked in confusion, and immediately noticed his hands were up Keira's shirt.

'_Crap.'_

Keira grabbed his wrists and shoved them back at him. She then sat up and glared at him.

_Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…_

Erol rubbed his cheek. Keira cleared her throat.

"Explain yourself, please."

Something about Keira was creeping Erol out. Might it be the unseen boiling anger that raged beneath her? Or maybe the way her fingers were twitching murderously?

"Oh, um, er, Keira, listen, it's not what you th-"

"IT'S NOT WHAT I THINK!" she screeched. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Erol, I should let you give me your excellent reason on _WHY _I found your hands up my shirt. 'It's not what I think.' Do go into detail, Erol."

'_Think Erol, thinkthinkthinkthink! You can't say you were dreaming, that would just sound completely wrong! Um, let's see…'_

Keira drummed her fingers on her arm. Waiting.

"Keira, I'm so sorry, I wasn't trying to feel you up, it was an accident!"

"Oh, so I'm supposed to believe that they just walked themselves up there! Do I look like a moron to you!"

Keira was enraged. It was all clicking now. ALL of it. Her friends' strange behaviors. Of course, Torn was going to warn her that Erol was a pervert with little self-control! She should have listened more carefully at what he was going to tell her. But Tess…Tess! Tess had practically sent her off to live with this creep! Was this her idea of a _joke!_ Well, Keira thought it was a pretty sick one. And a _mean _one! Some friend SHE was! And Erol! Ooooh, if she didn't get away soon, she might be arrested for murder! And the mysteriously dirty COUCH! She could tell when Erol was lying. Why that sneaky, stinky little ottsel!

"Don't you trust me, Keira?" Erol was twiddling his thumbs nervously.

'_Don't try the cutesy act on ME, Erol!' _she thought venomously. _'What an absolutely stupid question!'_

"Well, obviously, not anymore! We're just FRIENDS, Erol! Now, I'm going to change, so get out!"

Keira's words stung him. He sat there, stunned at her explosive fury.

"I _said_, 'GET OUT!"

Erol gave her one last apologetic look, then left the room.

Keira fumed. She grabbed some fresh clothes and quickly changed, so angry that she almost ripped her shirt trying to put it on her legs. Once she was changed correctly, she started thinking about what she was going to do.

'_Talk to Torn, what else,' _she eventually concluded. After all, he was the one who was going to warn her. She grabbed the phone and quickly punched in his number.

xXIXx

Erol was sitting on the trashed sofa, nervously waiting for her to come out. He was still trying to figure out what was a dream and what wasn't. Obviously, Keira hadn't really kissed him. That was totally too good to be true. Or plausible. Whatever had happened, he was nevertheless screwed. He had completely blown any chance of somehow winning her over.

Erol walked over to a drawer and fished out a pad of paper and some colored pencils. He began to sketch Keira's outline.

All of the artwork covering the walls was done by him. He didn't tell his friends, just because his artistic side was something he preferred to keep to himself. When he was younger, he had wanted to become an artist. There were a few in the bazaar, and he would spend most of his time watching them. Of course, his parents thought it was a stupid and useless career and persuaded him to sign up for the Krimzon Guard.

They were dead now, of course.

Erol buried his head in his hands. He was over all that. But what was ironic was that they were killed by Krimzon Guards. There was a crime or whatnot going on in the market section, and they just shot whoever was in the immediate vicinity. Luckily, they overlooked himself.

Erol added blue/green hair to his depiction of Keira.

He still remembered his father being shot in the back, and then his poor mother, who wasfeeling the fruits. He heard all the screams, the groans, and afterwards, the crying. He himself was too shocked to cry.

He wrenched his thoughts away from his parents and the Krimzon Guard. He added eyes to Keira, but wasn't satisfied with them. He erased them and tried again, but the new pair still didn't capture her.

Eventually, he grew frustrated with trying. Somehow, he couldn't draw her eyes right. He heard rummaging coming from his room. He figured that she was packing her stuff. Erol sighed and crumpled the paper.

xXIXx

Keira held the receiver to her ear.

"Hello? Torn?"

"Who is this!"

"It's me, Keira."

"Hey, how was it, staying at Erol's?"

Silence.

"Don't tell me, he messed with your toolbox." There was a raspy chuckle on the other line.

"…I should have listened to you, Torn."

"What?...Oh. What happened, Keira?"

"Not now, I'll tell you later, somewhere else. Are you free to meet at the café in Sectre 7 in ten minutes? I'm really hungry."

"Uh, sure, I think so. I'll meet you there. Bye."

_Click. _

Keira grabbed her stuff and searched for a pen and paper. She quickly scribbled a note to Erol explaining that she no longer wanted to stay with him and that she was going out. Once that was done, she exited through the back door.

xXIXx

Torn was waiting at the grungy café. Well, that was an unnecessary adjective, seeing as the whole of Haven City was coated in grime. He sat down at one of the tables outside and ordered a drink. As he was drinking it, Keira ran up, out of breath, carrying her things in a bag.

"Hi Torn, sorry I'm late, my zoomer was stolen while I was away from the garage, so I had to walk." She plopped down on the seat across from him.

Torn took a sip of his drink. "So, what's going on?"

Keira fumed. "I can't believe Erol's such a pervert. I'm surprised he had it in him to stick his hands up my shirt! Why didn't you or Tess tell me earlier?"

Torn spurted his drink. He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head, his dreadlocks swaying.

"He put his hands up your _shirt?_" Torn was disbelieving. _"Erol!" _He almost laughed, but kept it in. "How would Tess and I know he would do something as outrageous as that?"

"Tess winked at him, and you pinched him. I saw."

"So? All I knew was that he had a bit of an obsessive crush on you, and Tess probably thought that too."

Keira pondered that for a moment. Torn nodded.

"So _that's _why you called me instead of Tess." Keira blushed.

"That's not it at all! It's just that I always talk to Tess, so I needed a change of pace."

"Tell me you're joking about Erol."

Keira sighed explosively and leaned forward across the table, her hands splayed on the surface.

"Erol. Put. His. Slimy. Hands. Up. My. Shirt."

Torn shook his head. "He didn't mean it, Erol's too wimpy to try something like that."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Oh yeah, Torn? Well, get this. He ruined his couch just so that I would have to sleep with him. He had it ALL planned out!"

Torn snorted. Then, he couldn't help it; he broke out laughing.

Keira glared. "_What _is so funny!"

"Eh-heh…nothing, nothing, Keira."

"Lately things have been getting so screwed up. And I thought that the fight with Ashelin Praxis was bad! But this-"

"Wait up, Keira! You had a fight with _Ashelin!"_ Torn's eyes widened.

"_Only _because she was getting all hoochie-whorie with Jak. You should have seen what she was wearing!" said Keira defensively.

Torn didn't respond. He was to busy choking.

"What, Torn."

"Ahem. I'm alright. But are you jerking my chain?"

"I'm completely serious. I'm glad that you see how awful it is. I mean, who goes around dressed like that and starts touching another girl's guy's leg?"

"WHAT!" Torn looked scary.

Keira cringed. "It's not really that bad, Torn. But I guess I got really jealous and threw a mug of beer at her."

Torn was in shock.

"But you understand, right, Torn?"

Torn was silent.

"Torn?"

Silence.

"Torn…is there something…you're not telling me?"

Torn sighed.

Keira tried to catch his eye.

"I think there is."

Keira was intrigued.

"Might it have something to do with…Ashelin?"

Torn looked up, his ice-blue eyes unreadable.

"If what you're telling me is true, what does it matter anymore?"

Keira rolled her eyes. "Geez Torn, just tell me what your big problem is."

"I thought that Ashelin and I had something."

Keira hid her surprise. What would a smart guy like Torn see in a slut like Ashelin? She re-phrased that to Torn.

"Honestly, Torn, what do you see in her? Boobs?"

Torn blasted her with an icy look.

"For your information, she's very smart, has a sense of humor, and knows how to fend for herself."

"And is irresistibly sexy," added Keira. But inside, she was crushed by what Torn had just said. How would she stand a chance against Ashelin? What if Jak saw it too?

"You're just bitter," he said flatly.

"Ah, but I think you are too, Tornie-boy. Looks like we're in the same boat."

Torn smushed his palm against his tattooed forehead. "Why aren't you losing it yet, Keira? Just let it out! Or at least warn me when you're gonna explode, because I know it's coming."

Keira looked him straight in the eye. "Okay, Torn." She took a deep breath. "WHY THE HELL DID THAT STUPID SLUT-FACE HAVE TO COME ALONG, WHY! JAK IS MINE! _MINE! _AND WHY IS EROL SUCH A PERV?" Keira looked around to make sure nobody else was watching.

Torn grinned. "Wow, I feel better already. You should do that more often, Keira. Otherwise it'll all build up inside you, and it'll be even worse than that."

"Hmph. What about you?"

"I don't do it in public."

"I see. So what're we going to do?"

"'What're we going to do?' What _could _we do, Keira? Nothing! There's absolutely nothing we can do! If that's how it's going to be, we'll just have to move on!"

"Did I just hear _Torn _say that? Hmm. I must admit, I'm disappointed."

Torn stared at her for a while. "Why don't you talk to Jak about this? And report back to me."

Keira laughed. "You're so silly, Torn. Why don't _you _go talk to _Ashelin_?"

"But you're the one who's making such big deal."

"You are too, but I'll go do it, Torn. At least I have guts. Some soldier you are!" she teased. Keira always liked talking to Torn. It was very different that talking to Tess, because Torn brought out her competitive side. Like a brother. But Keira knew that she would talk to Jak about Ashelin. Again. Their conversation in the bathroom hadn't satisfied her.

"Alright, Torn, I'm going toorder something to eat. Do you have time to stay a bit longer?" she asked.

Torn shook his head. "Sorry, Keira, I have to go on duty in ten minutes. I have to get going," he answered in his gruff voice.

"Oh, okay, bye," she said, waving as he got up.

"Bye. Oh, and good luck with Jak." He hopped onto his zoomer and drove away, leaving Keira feeling a bit lonely. She ordered her food and ate thoughtfully, thinking of what to say to Jak. He'd probably just deny any feelings for Ashelin, which would get them nowhere except maybe an argument. She didn't want that. So maybe she'd just have to follow him around and catch him in the act! Because she was so sure Jak would eventually meet up with Ashelin again. It wasn't the greatest plan, but it would have to do. Better than being helpless.

xXIXx

Erol was sitting on his bed, too bummed out to make breakfast. He had gotten Keira's note. He felt so sick with himself. He needed to _change. _How could he ever attract _any _girl with the person he was now?

He went over in his head what needed to change. First of all, he needed to be more in control of himself. No more embarrassment, which meant no more tripping over air pockets. He also needed to start up his job again. Though he loathed serving the Krimzon Guard, he'd just have to show up. Then he'd have to think of something that would personally appeal to Keira.

He thought hard. Keira's passion was mechanics ('_and Jak_,' he thought sourly), and she had put up an ad for her racing team. It was currently empty, unless Jak had joined. Maybe starting up racing would help him out.

Erol blanched of the thought of himself on a zoomer hurtling at 100 miles per hour.

'_It's just a risk I have to take,' _he told himself. _'I can totally do this. I will be a new person! I'll give myself a chance. Good-bye, clumsy pushover Erol!'_

He grinned.

----O----

**A/N: A longisher chapter! Yay! I know it's pathetic, but it's actually hard for lazy old me. This story is finally starting to take shape. Please review, especially if you faved it. Yes, I can tell. I'd like to know what readers want, so that I don't completely blow this thing. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I will remind you again that this is a Jak/Keira fic. It may seem like Erol and/or Ashelin are starting to get in the way, but don't worry. ;) And Torn cannot be single! I'll try and do something about him and Ashelin. And thank you for the reviews! They make me update! Remember that!**

----O----

Jak was lying in bed, thinking about something rather disturbing that he had witnessed earlier that day. In the late morning, he had been hanging around in the often deserted café located in Sectre 7. Daxter was "scouting for babes" down the street, so he was left alone.

_Jak sat at a small, dirty table in the far back corner. The waiter was sitting at a different table, dressed in street clothes and playing with his cell phone. All Jak could think about was Ashelin and Keira. Even thinking about the two in that order gave him a pang of guilt. Jak corrected himself: all Jak could think about was Keira and Ashelin. Much better. So anyway, he was only there because the Hip Hog Saloon seemed to be constantly occupied by Keira or her friends. He just wanted to be alone, and also didn't want to be pestered for errands by Krew. _

_He was slouched in the shadows when he noticed a girl with blue and green hair sit down outside the window. Jak's jaw dropped. Even worse, she seemed to be waiting for someone. _

_Sure enough, a tattooed man seated himself across from her. Just great! He sure was lucky, going out of his way to avoid people and then seeing them and all. Jak quickly ducked under the table, watching them. The waiter gave him an odd look, but Jak ignored him. _

_Keira and the other man seemed to be talking about something. Jak watched her lean across the table. He seethed with rage. Luckily, Keira didn't do anything, and good thing, because Jak just might have killed that tattooed guy. _

_He watched them, his ears straining to hear what they were saying. Finally, he heard Keira yelling something, her voice muffled by the glass but still loud. _

_Something like…"BITCH-SLUT! JAK IS MIIIIINE! EROL'S A PERVERT!" Or along those lines. _

_Jak's eyes widened in surprise. He was thoroughly confused by now. But he was fairly sure that the tattooed man was just a friend. Jak breathed a sigh of relief. And he couldn't be wrong, because otherwise Keira wouldn't be yelling…that…at the guy. Okay, it made a bit more sense now. _

_So Keira really did still love him. Maybe in a slightly creepy way, but it made him feel simultaneously relieved and warm and fuzzy. Only for a few seconds, though. _

_Eventually, they both left the café, and Jak was safe to come out. His heart felt a little lighter, but still held that gnawing guilt. _

Jak closed his eyes. He shouldn't have any attraction towards Ashelin. It was wrong, yet hard to resist.

"Jaaak, get up already!" An orange blur landed on his chest and started shaking Jak's head.

"You're so boring! Let's go do something!" he said excitedly. Daxter had no effect. "Time to get up, boy! Laziness is the enemy of getting work done! Go help farmer Zeb with his Yakkows!" he commanded, imitating Jak's uncle. Jak just lay there and sighed.

Daxter's ears drooped. "Look on the bright side, buddy! This place is definitely exciting! We'll get home someday."

"Maybe, maybe not, Dax," replied Jak softly, opening his eyes and staring at the low ceiling.

"Come on, tell me what's wrong, Jak."

"Nothing! There's nothing wrong, Dax!" he snapped.

Daxter sat cross-legged on Jak's chest. "Orange lightning is a professional at solving girl problems. Tell me your worries and…za-za-zing! I will solve them!"

Jak rolled his eyes. "It's not a girl problem!" he lied in fake exasperation. "So just give it up, okay! I'll get up! Happy now?"

Daxter nodded over-dramatically. "Suuure, suuure. But I'll help you out, buddy! You can count on me! I'm formulating a plan as we speak!"

xXIXx

Torn's eyes widened in surprise as he entered the KG facility. Hanging on the wall was a giant poster with a clipboard beneath it.

_There is a terrible menace loose in our precious city! Sign up now to fight this beast for our Haven! _were the bolded words written on a giant photo of Jak's face.

Beneath the poster was a man writing his name on the list. Torn walked up behind him.

"So, I guess this is gonna be the newest assignment. Many will be killed, once again, and the cycle will continue with the next generation. 'For our Haven.' How ironic," said Torn.

The guy turned around, and Torn struggled to hide his surprise.

"Erol? What are you doing here? And…and…_what do you think you're doing!" _

"I believe I'm earning my salary, Torn. What does it look like I'm doing?" he said coolly.

"Smartass," Torn growled, surprised at Erol's response. "You know what you're doing, right?"

"I'm helping to eradicate a violent threat to Haven City. What's your problem, Torn?"

"'What's _my_ problem?' What's _yours, _Erol? You moron! Are you trying to break Keira's heart?"

That stopped Erol. His eyes narrowed. "Of course not. I'm preventing it!"

Torn shook his head. "You're so selfish! I can see right through that. It's not going to work, Erol. And if you're not listening to me, I'll have to tell Keira what you're doing."

Erol grinned, surprising Torn. "No you won't."

"And why not?"

"Well, I've heard that Ashelin's pretty pissed that you hang around Tess and Keira more than you pay attention to her. So…if I told her about something simply awful that I witnessed…"

"You'd LIE to Ashelin? You (insert profanity). Why are you acting like such a jerk, Erol? This isn't you! And Ashelin would never believe you!"

"This _is _me, Torn. I'm just giving myself more opportunities in life than before. And of course Ashelin would believe me. She's starting to stop believing in _you, _Torn."

Torn felt like he had been punched in the chest.

"Fine, Erol. I won't tell if you don't lie," he said through gritted teeth. He looked up at the poster on the wall and sighed. "Do you really have that little heart to do this?"

"I'm doing the right thing," Erol told Torn stoutly, but it sounded more like he was convincing himself.

"You know you're not," growled Torn, grabbing the clipboard. "I'm just gonna have to put this through the shredder. Let's just pretend this never happened!"

"Give that back!" Erol said angrily, grabbing at the other end of the board. They both tugged at it, until Torn finally managed to pry it out of Erol's fingers.

"Torn, you jackass, just give the damn sheet back!" Torn shook his head and ripped the paper in half, sneering at Erol.

"You ----," snarled Erol, and shoved Torn in the chest.

Torn shoved him back even harder. "Watch it, Erol!"

Erol elbowed him in the stomach. Torn keeled over in pain, holding his stomach.

"You're not Erol," he wheezed, kicking hard at Erol's left knee. "That's for Keira!"

Erol's knees buckled and he fell against the poster. They both glared at each other, panting. Erol gave him the finger.

"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE?" a Krimzon Guard already garbed in armor yelled from across the room. He ran over.

"Stand up, both of you!" he barked. Torn and Erol straightened with difficulty.

"Go get changed and quit horsing around, or you'll get your paychecks cut! If this happens again, you'll both be in serious trouble! And you-" he pointed to Erol, "go get another sign up form!" He put his hands on his hips, waiting for them to get moving.

Erol gave Torn a nasty glare, and Torn returned it.

xXIXx

"Hi Tess," said Keira, walking into the Hip Hog. It was the late morning, and there weren't any customers yet.

Tess was sitting on a bar stool, looking bored. "Keira! I'm saved! I thought I was going to die of boredom. I didn't bring anything to do, but I have some nail polish in my purse. Can I paint your nails?"

Keira laughed humorlessly. "Okay, fine, I'll let you do it this one time."

Tess beamed. "You're so adventurous today, Keira!" she said jokingly. "I only have pink with me, but you've already agreed, so I don't want to hear any complaining!" She brought out the bottle and positioned Keira's hand.

"So, is it nice staying with Erol?" she asked.

"I'm not staying with him anymore," she responded grumpily.

"Why not?"

Keira sighed. She really didn't want to go over it again, but she told Tess anyway.

"Ugh, that's gross. I can't believe Erol did that," she commented. "Well, I understand that you don't want to stay with him anymore, so you can stay with me, on one condition."

Keira looked at her. "What's that, Tess?"

"I get to give you a makeover!" Keira groaned.

"Okay, fine! But not now," she said. She inspected her nails. "Are they done yet?"

"They have to dry, and then I'm putting a coat of clear on them."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying that you painted them pink when you had clear?"

"But clear isn't a color, Keir." She winked. Keira rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Thanks a lot for letting me stay with you. My garage is almost fixed up," she said.

"No problem, but my place is small and a bit shabby. Krew doesn't pay much."

"It's fine, Tess! I've been there before."

Tess smiled. "That's good."

Keira blew on her nails. "Has Daxter come in here yet?" Tess shook her head.

"I've been waiting for him, but he hasn't showed up yet. Why?"

"Because…um, I need to find Jak." Tess tried to catch Keira's eyes.

"Are you going to tell me what you're going to do?"

Keira sighed angrily. "I need to catch him in the act with Ashelin!"

Tess laughed. "Heh heh…I'm really sorry Keir, but that's just stupid."

Keira shrugged. "Got any better ideas?"

"Yep. Talk to him," she said simply.

"No no no, that won't work! I tried it already."

"Then try it again! Don't stalk him, what if he finds out?"

Keira bit her lip. "I know what I'm doing, Tess."

"Are you sure? What if Jak never even meets up with Ashelin?"

Keira's eyes darkened. "Oh, I'm almost positive he will."

Tess sighed in exasperation. "I'll tell you one last time, Keir, this is a totally stupid idea! So don't say I didn't warn you! And if you're going to insist on going with it, then at least take me with you so that you don't totally screw things up."

"It's always nice to know that I have a friend who puts her trust in me," Keira said sarcastically.

"So you're going to wait here until he comes in?"

"I guess so," she said, spinning on the round yakkow hide stool.

"Great, I love company," said Tess, pouring two glasses of beer.

xXIXx

It was the late afternoon, and Keira was still waiting in the bar. There was a faint buzzing in the back of her mind from the alcohol, which she wasn't used to. A few hours ago she had been sitting on the dock, thinking about Sandover. Now she was helping Tess with customers.

"What do you mean, no groping?" a sleazy guy in a booth asked Tess.

"I _mean, _stop touching me!" Tess growled, banging his third drink down on the table. She settled back behind the bar with Keira. "Sometimes I hate this job so much," she said grouchily.

"Hmm," replied Keira, wiping some glasses. Another person walked in the bar, dragging his feet. Keira saw that it was Torn.

"Ergh!" he said in frustration, plopping down on a stool.

"How was your day, Torn?" she asked.

He looked up at her with weary eyes. "I'm gonna kill that bastard."

"Who?"

"Erol! That little-"

"What'd he do?"

"We got into a fight, and- oh!" He mentally slapped himself, remembering his and Erol's agreement. "Um, never mind about it, Keira."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Ookay, what was it about?"

"I said never mind. Can you get me a beer?"

She cleared her throat. "Tell me, Torn," she said seriously.

"I can't!" he said, starting to get almost panicky. "Listen Keira, I'm tired and I feel like crap, I had a rough day, so can you ask the questions later?"

"Okay, Torn, but don't think you're getting out of this! I want to hear what happened with Erol and you eventually." She grabbed a mug and poured him a beer.

"I haven't been paying attention to Ashelin," he murmured quietly as she plonked the mug down.

"Sorry, what was that, Torn?" asked Keira.

"I didn't realize it."

"Can you speak louder, Torn?"

"I hope she'll forgive me. I love her."

"What?"

"I love her."

"You're not making sense, Torn. I think beer's the last thing you need right now." She took the mug away, and he didn't protest. Instead, he put his head down on his arms, his ice-blue eyes revealing his depression.

"Oh…what's wrong, Torn?" she said, sitting across from him. He kept quiet.

Tess came over. "What's going on?" she inquired. Keira shrugged.

"Just let it out, Torn…" whispered to him. Tess gave her a funny look.

"No…not in public," he whispered back, his eyelids drooping.

"Wow, he sure is exhausted. He looks sad about something," Tess said, mildly surprised.

"I don't know. Just looking at him is making me tired," Keira yawned. She leaned against the mirror, shutting her eyes.

'_I wonder what Jak is up to right now…' _she thought sleepily.

"DAXXY!" A squeal from Tess interrupted her doze. "Oh, my snoogie-woogie! You didn't come see me this morning!"

"Sorry, baby, I was hindered by a gruesome metal head, but I somehow managed to protect Jak and kill it! Nothing can get in my way when I wanna see you!" Keira listened to Daxter spew his usual garbage.

"Aww, how sweet! What do you want to drink, Daxxy?" she crooned, scratching his ears. Keira waited until they were done.

"Hi Daxter."

"Oh, hey, Keira! How's it going?" he asked, seating himself on the glass tip jar.

"I'm fine, Daxter. Can you give me the address of where you and Jak are staying?" she asked, getting to the point.

"Hmm…" Daxter said slyly. "Thinking of paying Jak a midnight visit?" Keira's cheeks burned.

"Shut up! Of course not. Just in case of an emergency," she snapped. Daxter looked thoughtful.

"An emergency, eh? That's a good idea, I should write that one down," he muttered to himself. "Okay, sure, Keira! Just don't go turning us in to the authorities!" He scribbled an address on a scrap of paper. Keira thanked him and pocketed it.

"Daxxy, here's your drink! And I overheard Keira getting your address. Can I get your phone number?" Tess ran to them.

"So Daxter, do you know where Jak is now?" Keira inquired.

"Meh, probably either moping in bed or running around shooting people and drinking their blood." Keira looked both sick and disturbed. "I'm just _kidding, _Keira! Well, kind of."

She sat back down on her seat. If he was killing people right now, the city would probably be on alert, and the alarm by the entrance wasn't flashing. So he was most likely at wherever he and Daxter were staying.

'_Better not be with Ashelin,' _she thought sourly. _'Well, I should get going before it gets too late.'_

"I'm leaving now, okay Tess? Bye!" Tess was too occupied by Daxter to even look up.

"Uh-huh, buh-bye Keir!" she said distractedly, petting the ottsel. Keira left, closing the door behind her. It took Tess a few minutes to comprehend.

"H-hey, WAIT, Keira!" She screamed, putting Daxter on the counter and dashing after the determined woman.

---O---

**Oh no! Keira's a stalker now! And what could Daxter be up to…could he actually play hero for once? **

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...oh, that's funny.**


End file.
